Oh No, just been fired with no notice!

[NiftyNanny]

I don't think they're going to give me any notice pay, I wrote a letter when I started and said I wanted a formal agreement, I've only been with them 5 weeks and it hasn't worked out. Their little girl spent most of the time shouting at me that she "didn't want me" after her, she wanted her Mummy. "I hate you, I don't want you!"

Now, I tried to talk to the parents about it and asked what I could do to help her feel like I was part of the team - they had a chat with her once, and she didn't shout at me for a day so she was given a present for being nice. Well, you can imagine how long it lasted. She has them around her little finger - getting out of baths, etc by stamping her feet, and I think this has really swayed them.

The Dad is at home sick at the moment, and yesterday I had another short notice cancellation where she was going to go to a friend's house after school. I said I wouldn't stay just til 3, I'd keep going til I did everything. So, I went round, cleaned the floor in the kitchen, the bathroom, the toilets, finished the ironing and then Dad came home groggy having had his stitches out. He went in the bathroom and I forgot to put the shampoo bottles back on the side of the bath and straighten the curtains.

He was standing at the top of the stairs groaning when I called out that I was leaving, he'd answered a couple of sentences but didn't hear or something, and then I got a call an hour later once he'd woken up shouting at me that I'd done half a job in the bathroom and it wasn't good enough. He then called back another hour later once Mummy was home and said it wasn't working out, they weren't happy and it was "the final straw" - I didn't know there was a first straw!

I am in such a mess, I know I was stupid not to get a contract in writing but they seemed very reasonable, but I think the fact their little girl was so anti-me just me it obviously just went crack. To be honest I wanted to meet with them and have a review because I was so unhappy about how she was taking to me.

Rubbish! I am going to be so broke over Christmas, I'm going to look on Gumtree and Nannyjob for temp jobs but I don't want to be in the position where I'm being told "only light cleaning" then throttled for not replacing shampoo. I even srcubbed the toilets.... but he just shouted at me "I don't want to hear it, let's leave it at that and you can post the keys back through the letterbox"

One minute they were fine the next they hate me!

Grrrr, PEOPLE! Where are the NICE families?

I don't want to jinx it but I think it went well I almost feel as though fate has stepped in - they already had a list of duties from their last nanny, who was with them 4 years and left to have a baby (and still comes over for the odd day to hang out!)
They were up front about contracts, which are already prepared subject to negotiation... said duties which are nursery duties and not housework - and stated "by the end of the day" and "once a week"
wages are done through payroll with payslips and a P60.......

gasps

Nick, not driving has counted against me with one interview. It depends if the children are in a school further afield. West London has plenty of really nice schools, state and fee-paying, so people tend to live near enough to walk. I would really like to learn, and with a 4 day week and a good wage it should be fine.

So... I'll let you know how things go.

NannyJ it's so reassuring to hear that it can happen even to those wise experienced nannies I'd love to be like one day!

I'm still studying - I've started the CACHE HomeBased Childcare diploma through distance learning. I spent a year at college in Norwich doing the Level 2 CACHE Cert. as I thought it would be a good foundation. I wanted something that had the supervised and assessed class time - the Level 3 would have taken three years and at my age, with a partner, I didn't want to spend that long away from London (went back to live with Mum, bless her). I topped it up with all the free courses Surestart offered - St Johns Early Years, Child Protection, Health and Safety... so I'm not as well qualified as the CMs out there, but have age and hopefully a bit of common sense on my side too.

Right, off to bed!

foxinsocks, what's your email address?

I'd post the originals back registered mail just so I could prove I'd returned them. Then I would pass out many copies of them with a tag with their address on it.

Seriously, you are better off without them.

Niftynanny, I can sooo vouch for Jura, she is lovely.

If somehow it doesnt suit you and Jura, I have a friend who is looking for childcare, she is in East Sheen, but it may only be temporary as she really needs somebody live in, like an au pair, to bring and pick up her youngest from school. (Single mum, airhostess, unsociable hours to somebody live out)

Jura seems very nice indeed, we even share bizarre pet naming tendencies! ;)

Sheen is close-ish, I have a friend who lives there. I think I might be looking for something temporary but as I'm live out (all partnered up) it'd depend on how long it was temporary for, iyswim

Ooooh you're all so nice here.
I'm crossing my fingers the trial day goes OK, I will know Wednesday evening what her decision will be but then won't start (IF I get it) til mid Jan.

There isn't even much on Gumtree at the moment!

I was thinking yesterday - could the pregnancy test, overhearing that Granny was coming to stay, and Dad being off work sick POSSIBLY have anything to do with them letting me go, do you think? I just don't see why they had to treat me so badly when they did it - and by PHONE. Even if they sat me down and said they thought I was a rubbish Nanny I would've had a bit of respect for them.

Was thinking of shoving some coal through their letterbox on Christmas Eve!

Could you get to Sheen for 4 am though?
She would only need a live out till she gets a live in au pair. It would be possible to have another job, between 8/9 and 3 pm (there are always parents around the school that need a nanny) when the youngest needs picking up from school and brought home, and cook tea for him and her oldest who is 14, and just stay till she gets home around 7-8. Does that sound like a tall order for any nanny? She is desperately hoping to find one who will do this, as she is not so keen on a live in person....

By the sounds of it, does not look like he was thinking straight, it is just too unreasonable for words, the way they have treated you.